You are right on with this...the indoctrination centers of the left (public schools ) are considered sacred institutions even though the product has been failing since being unionized in the 40s...
Deliberately. Check out a book called the Deliberate Dumbing Down of America by Charlotte Thompson Iserbyte. It's available on line for free now. Ms. Iserbyte is a former muckty-muck with the Department of (re)Education turned whistle blower. She uses documents obtained through the FOIA that cover a span of over 60 years to prove her case. It's a real eye opener and should be required reading for anyone who is a parent or anyone who is wondering why there are so many functionally illiterate people wandering around in our society.....